SUGI 28
Professional Development and User Support
Paper 247-28
SAS-L – A VERY POWERFUL RESOURCE FOR SAS USERS WORLDWIDE
JoAnn Matthews, Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Pittsburgh, PA
Doug Zirbel, Pinnacle Solutions, Inc, Indianapolis, IN
ABSTRACT
SAS-L is an electronic mail discussion group that
was developed to allow SAS users worldwide the
potential to communicate with some the best and
most powerful SAS users in the world virtually
instantaneously via discussion groups or LISTSERV
e-mail servers. Originally SAS-L messages were sent
over electronic bulletin board systems, in the days
prior to the Internet. Now topics of interest to the
SAS user world are sent via e-mail list servers via
the internet. Using SAS-L, a SAS user can send a
message to the LISTSERV, and a copy of that
message is sent through the LISTSERV e-mail
facility to every subscriber to the service, virtually
instantaneously, depending on the speed of the
server. Responses, comments or correct code soon
appear, almost instantaneously.
This can be a very powerful resource for both the
beginning SAS programmer, who might be
struggling with a simple syntax question, or for a
power SAS user, with a complicated SAS
programming problem. Difficult coding questions
can be solved by "SAS-L experts” quickly, virtually
before a SAS programmer has time to look the
topic up using a manual. Topics include SAS
programming questions, announcements of interest to
the user community, complaints about SAS
Institute, or any subject that is deemed appropriate.
SAS-L is one of the oldest, most successful
programming oriented e-mail lists, founded in 1985,
at the University of Georgia.1 While it is “officially”
independent of SAS Institute, SAS Institute
frequently monitors the service to ensure accuracy of
the information that is being disseminated.
SAS-L
New users of SAS software may not be aware of a
very powerful free resource that is available to them,
the SAS–L LISTSERV. SAS-L is an electronic
mail discussion group LISTSERV that was
developed at the University of Georgia by a guy
named Harold that gives users the potential to
communicate with some of the best and most
powerful SAS users in the world via the internet.1
Electronic mailing lists provide a forum for SAS
users to participate in discussions or send and receive
e-mail about SAS. A LISTSERV makes use of a
software that manages the distribution of mail to
thousands of subscribers called "list servers" or “a
LISTSERV”..1 A list server automatically
distributes an e-mail message from one member of a
list to all other members on that list. A LISTSERV
is a kind of electronic mail facility, if you will, that
allows subscribers to the LISTSERV to participate
in electronic discussion groups on any of thousands
of subjects.
If you have an interest in a particular subject,
chances are excellent that there is a discussion group
on that subject. As of October, 2001, there were
49,014 LISTSERVs (out of over 199,000) catalogued
on the CataList website. 2 The University of
Georgia supports 1,800 such newsgroups for their
university administration. Prior to the Internet,
discussion groups resided on Bulletin Board
software, such as Wildcat Bulletin Board Service, on
the UseNet, UseNet was a collection of networked
computers, consisting of government, university and
corporate computer systems that made use of dial-up
modems. The UseNet was the beginning of what has
now evolved into the Internet. 3
What makes SAS-L so exciting is that is it a rich
forum for sharing knowledge. Knowledge
Management is the process through which
organizations generate value from their intellectual
and knowledge-based assets. Some assume that
Knowledge Management is Information Technology,
but that is not the case. IT facilitates KM. By
fostering the free flow of ideas and knowledge, SASL is an excellent Knowledge Management tool, and
one that every SAS programmer should take
advantage of. What better way to share knowledge
than on SAS-L?
And please keep in mind that SAS-L is not just
valuable for the new user who is trying to solve a
syntax or coding issue. Seasoned SAS programmers
are also encouraged to share their expertise and
knowledge with other SAS-L participants, and keep
the free flow in ideas and information. Those of you
SUGI 28
Professional Development and User Support
who have expertise in SAS programming and syntax
can subscribe to SAS-L and participate in the sharing
of knowledge that is the foundation of this
LISTSERV. In the process you would be helping
other SAS programmers worldwide gain a better
understanding of the intricacies of the SAS language.
In his excellent paper on SAS-L from SUGI 25, “A
Personal View of SAS-L as a Teaching Tool , Ian
Whitlock talks about the strength of the SAS-L
LISTSERV as an excellent teaching tool and the
wealth of topics and advice that SAS-L provides. Of
course, he also cautions that a participant must be
able to recognize a good solution from a bad one, but
also suggests that SAS-L is self-correcting, in that the
group participating on SAS-L sees when poor advice
is given, and jump into the discussion to clarify.
Therefore, if you are a new users or someone who
enjoys sharing your expertise, SAS-L can be an rich
and valuable experience. It is known that those who
volunteer their time and expertise gain more from the
experience than the people that they are helping.
There is a secondary gain inherent in giving of your
time or knowledge.
Whether a new users or not, the value of SAS-L
apparent after you have tried to research syntax using
a standard SAS manual. Often times, trying to find
information in a SAS manual can be daunting.
Sometimes, just figuring out where to look is the
major stumbling block. You may know what you
want to do, but not how it is referenced in the
manual. SAS manuals are not written to be
particularly “user friendly”. In the time it takes to
open the manual and begin the arduous process of
scanning the index, a SAS user can search the
archives in Google, or post a question via the SASL list-serve and receive a quick answer.
Why reinvent the wheel? There are SAS experts,
waiting to solve SAS problems, or showcase their
SAS knowledge, for the world to see. Your
question will be answered almost immediately, and
by several SAS experts, with possibly several
solutions. You can then pick the solution that makes
the most sense to you.
So how does SAS-L work? Originally SAS-L
messages were sent over electronic bulletin boards, in
the days prior to the Internet. Now, topics of interest
to the SAS user world are sent via e-mail
LISTSERV servers over the Internet. SAS-L is a
“peered” list, which means that it resides on a
number of listservers, and messages on one server
will be sent to all LISTSERV servers. This is a very
powerful feature of a LISTSERV. The LISTSERV 
is also “gated” to a newsgroup named comp.softsys.sas., which means you can access SAS-L several
ways; 1) either subscribing to the LISTSERV, 2)
viewing newsgroups, or lastly, and the most easily
accessible way, via the internet on Goggle.com.
Goggle is a search engine that has archived 20
years of Usenet messages on a site called Goggle
Groups. This website mirrors the LISTSERV.4
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
You can subscribe officially to SAS-L , and send and
receive SAS-L messages directly, by sending a
message to: [email protected] at the University
of Georgia, or [email protected] at Virginia
Polytechnic University, or [email protected] the University of Vienna . To subscribe,
type: subscribe, space, SAS-L, space and your name
on the subject line. No message should be added to
the body of the e-mail.
Subject: SUBSCRIBE SAS-L JOHN SMITH
If you deviate at all from this format, the subscription
will not be processed. If you have typed the subject
line correctly, and your subscription is processed, you
will receive a confirmation from the LISTSERV,
with instructions on how to confirm the subscription.
The only disadvantage of being a subscriber is that
your e-mail inbox will begin to receive many
messages each day – some days upwards of fifty.
When a regular subscriber to SAS-L sends a message
to the list-serve with a question, a copy of that
message is sent to every subscriber to the service,
virtually instantaneously, depending on the speed of
the server. At present there are several thousand
subscribers to SAS-L. Those messages accumulate
quickly in your e-mail box, and unless you are
diligent, and delete messages regularly, you may
exceed your disk quota on your e-mail server.
Accessing SAS-L via Newsgroups
Another option is to be a “casual” subscriber to SASL by using newsgroups. This way you can access the
information unofficially, without actually
subscribing. In order to do this you will need to
configure your browser to access the newsreader in
your browser, either Netscape Messenger, or
Outlook Express, in Microsoft’s Explorer. The
name of the newsgroup is comp.soft-sys.sas.
The advantage of being a casual SAS-L “browser”
rather than a full-subscribe is that your e-mail quota
does not get filled with the large number of e-mails
SUGI 28
Professional Development and User Support
that are sent each day via the LISTSERV. For some
users, this is an important distinction. Instructions for
setting up newsgroups in your environment are more
complicated and require knowledge of the name of
the news server. Detailed instructions on the one-time
setup are included in the appendix.
While SAS-L is “officially” independent of SAS
Institute, SAS Institute frequently monitors SAS-L
to ensure accuracy of the information that is being
disseminated. SAS employees however, are not
encouraged to communicate via SAS-L. This is a listserve for the SAS community, not SAS Institute.
Note: These instructions will be handed out during
the presentation at SUGI in a laminated format that
you can take back to your work stations.
If you attend SUGI 28, there is a BOF – Birds of a
Feather – gathering. Be sure to attend. You will have
an opportunity to learn more about SAS-L and have
an opportunity to meet frequent SAS-L contributors
face to face.
Accessing SAS-L on Google
Lastly, you can access information on SAS-L via the
google search engine website: www.google.com.
Google.com mirrors the Usenet discussion forum, has
all postings on SAS-L, so that you can search the
arichives easily, and even allows you to post a
message. Go to the website, and once in Google, go
into Google Groups, the comp, then Next 30 groups,
to comp.soft-sys.* and finally comp.soft-sys.sas.
And Google is not the only place where SAS
programmers can share resources. In an excellent
paper at SUGI 27, Wei Cheng talks about other
resources on the internet that are available, including
how to search SAS-L using other search engines
detailed information on LISTSERV s, if you’ve not
used this vehicle before. There is even a reference to
the General User’s Guide to LISTSERV, so that you
can learn to use LISTSERV correctly. .
Summary
Whether you access SAS-L via the internet, by
simply doing a search on Google, or through
newsgroups, or via a subscription, the beauty of SASL is the speed with which responses appear.
Questions that were sent minutes before are
answered. SAS-L can be a most amazingly powerful
resource for both the beginning SAS programmer,
who might be struggling with a simple syntax
question, or a power user, with a very complex
question or difficult esoteric programming problem.
Difficult coding questions are usually solved by
"SAS-L experts” quickly. And more often than not,
there are several solutions. Thus, a new user can pick
the solution that makes the most sense to him.
But the true beauty of this facility is the vicarious fun
of following the threads, and sometimes the brilliant
and resultant humor are well worth the amount of
time that is invested in cleaning up unwanted e-mail
messages.
REFERENCES
1. Ask Jeeves:
http://www.ask.com
2. EFF’s Guide to the Internet:
http://www.eff.org/pub/Net_info/EFF_Net_Guide,
August, 2001
3. CataList Reference Site:
http://www.lsoft.com/lists/listref.htm,l October, 2001
4. http://www.google.com
5. Internet and Networking: Internet Mailing Lists
Guides and Resources, IFLA,
http://www.Iflanet.com
6. Witlock, Ian, A Personal View of SAS-L as a
Teaching Tool, SAS Users Group International 25,
paper 249-25, 2000.
7. Cheng, Wei, Internet and Web Resources for SAS
Programmers and Statisticians, SAS Users Group
International 27, paper 239-26, 2002.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Your comments and questions are valued and
encouraged:
JoAnn R. Matthews
Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
120 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15253-5069
Work Phone: (412) 544-2397
Fax: (412) 544-2429
E-Mail: [email protected]
Doug Zirbel
Pinnacle Solutions, Inc
One North Meridann St, Suite 1010
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Work Phone: (317) 423-0128
Fax: (same)
e-mail:[email protected]
SUGI 28
Professional Development and User Support
Appendix
Quick Reference To Internet SAS Newsgroup
(Get answers to your SAS question today!)
(Make a copy of this, cut it in half, paste it together, and
post it on your cubicle wall!)
omp.soft-sys.sas is the newsgroup version of the SAS-L
email list and it has several advantages over SAS-L. A
C newsgroup is a simple way of looking at an email list
server – as though it were an email Inbox, like in
MS/Outlook Express. It is easy to use, but requires a onetime setup, which is listed further below.
Have a SAS question or problem you can’t solve? (1
minute or less)
1. Go to http://www.google.com to search the vast
history of previous SAS-L questions and answers.
2. Click on Groups > Advanced Groups Search
3. Enter key words in your SAS question in the “Find
messages” section
4. Enter comp.soft-sys.sas in the “Newsgroup” box
5. Click the Google Search button
6. Search results appear.
If that doesn’t solve your problem, then “post” your
question with your email/newsgroup software (e.g.,
Outlook Express) (1 minute or less)
1. Open your email/newsgroup browser
2. In the Folders window, click on comp.soft-sys.sas
(if you have already followed the one-time setup
instructions further below, and have “subscribed”
to comp.soft-sys.sas).
3. Click the New Post button in the upper left
4. Write a short description in the subject line –
include a key word or two, e.g. “Proc Means
question”, or “Convert char to numeric?”
How soon will I get an answer? (30 minutes or more)
1. Wait at least 30 minutes or so before checking the
newsgroup again for answers – give others
enough time to read and write a reply… some
may not get to your question for several days,
depending on how busy they are at work.
How do I interact with others in the newsgroup? (1
minute or less)
1. Be bold – go ahead and ask your questions,
even/especially if you are a SAS beginner. Other
beginners who read it will also benefit!
2. The F5 key will often serve to ”refresh” your
email/newsgroup software – you may see new
replies and new questions that you didn’t see
before.
3. To reply to someone who has posted (either to
your question, to someone else’s question, or to
someone’s reply, click on Reply Group.
4. The only time you should not reply to the group
(with the simple Reply button which starts an
email) is if the topic is somehow confidential, for
example – job-related.
5. Be sure to publicly thank those who have offered
their help… again by using Reply Group.
6. Ignore spam, eloquent appeals from Nigeria, and
so on.
7.
Help others – read the questions from others that
you think you can answer, and help them out.
One-time setup instructions for MS/Internet
Explorer/Outlook Express (10 minutes or less)
1. Call your ISP’s (MSN, AOL, etc) Tech Support
phone number and ask them a) what the name of
their news server is, and also b) if that server
requires you to log in.
2. In Internet Explorer, select Tools > Mail and News
> Read News
3. You may see a window stating that “You are not
subscribed to any newsgroups…” Click “No”.
4. When Outlook Express appears, select Tools >
Accounts
5. You should see a screen which says “Internet
Accounts”. Click on “Add > News…”.
6. Again, You may see a window stating that “You
are not subscribed to any newsgroups…” Click
“Yes” this time.
7. An Internet Connection Wizard should appear.
Type in your name as you want it to appear in
newsgroups. “Click Next”.
8. Type in the email address you want others to
reply to. Click “Next”.
9. For the next screen, type in the name of your
ISP’s news server that you got when you called
their Tech Support phone. If they said their
server requires you to log on, then of course
check that check-box. Click “Next”.
10. Click on “Finish”, then on “Close”.
11. A dialog window asking “Would you like to
download newsgroups…?” should appear. Click
“No.”
12. Close Outlook Express, then restart it (IE6 > Tools
> Mail and News > Read News).
13. When the dialog window reappears, click “Yes”. It
will take a few moments to download all available
newsgroups.
14. You should see a Newsgroup Subscriptions dialog
window. In the “Display newsgroups which
contain:” box, type “comp.soft-sys.sas” as above.
Select it in the “All” window below, and click “Go
to”.
15. You may encounter a sign-in window next, as
shown below in the MSN example. Type in your
email address and password, then click “OK”. You
may have click “OK” several times!
16. Finally you should arrive at the comp.soft-sys.sas
window. You’re in!